Vanity Fair

A Novel without a Hero

By: William Makepeace Thackeray

Narrated by: Georgina Sutton

Vanity Fair, with its rich cast of characters, takes place on the snakes-and-ladders board of life. Amelia Sedley, daughter of a wealthy merchant, has a loving mother to supervise her courtship. Becky Sharp, an orphan, has to use her wit, charm, and resourcefulness to escape from her destiny as a governess. This she does ruthlessly, musing: "I think I could become a good woman, if I had £5,000 a year."

Thackeray’s story is set at the time of the battle of Waterloo, in which the Sedley fortunes are lost - and Amelia is back to square one - while Becky rises with contemptuous ease.

Download the accompanying reference guide.Public Domain (P)2013 Naxos AudioBooks

OUTSTANDIN!!!! EVERY MOMENT A JOY TO LISTEN TO!

What did you love best about Vanity Fair?

The narration is fabulous. Although it is a long classic,Georgina Sutton presented it in such a charming way that there was not a single moment of boredom.She perfectly took on the voices of the different characters and made them sound pleasantly authentic and genuine.The story-line itself is well-known and no wonder it is a classic.One of the world's favourite books ever written,-according to BBC's Goodreads List.Deservedly so.Every minute of listening to this novel was a pleasure .The author's wisdom and sympathetic insight to human nature is just as valid today as it was centuries ago.It actually had me in tears.A rare occurance with listening to audio-books.Would recommend it to every one,any time.

Entertaining satire

View the phony materialists of 200 years ago in their romantic moils. The last couple of hours drag asthackeray wraps up all the threads of the story. I heartily recommend the first half. Wonderful reading.

Great performance

I loved the performance by Georgina Sutton! She played the various characters in the book, both female and male, in such a way that their voices expressed their character and the humour and circumstances of the story admirably. Or, in other words, I had a lot of fun listening to this classic :)

360 degrees excellent

I have listened to many audible books over the years and this performance is among the best. it makes a great book even better. top 2%

My favorite novel

Would you consider the audio edition of Vanity Fair to be better than the print version?

Thackeray's **Vanity Fair** is my favorite novel, and I reread it every couple of years. I'm enjoying listening this time. Immersion Reading is turning out to be wonderful for the way I process: visual PLUS auditory!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Vanity Fair?

**Vanity Fair** is chocked full of wonderful moments! Tackeray's insight into people and society, his gentle jabs and sarcasm, are wonderful. He is keenly honest about their failings, yet you don't get the feeling that he despises people for their weaknesses. He tells the story almost as if he is a fond old uncle, slightly detached, amused at the foibles of, but still having affection for, his characters.

Which character – as performed by Georgina Sutton – was your favorite?

Sadly, I considered the characterizations the weakest part of the audiobook. In pure narration, Sutton's voice is pleasant and appropriate. Some of her characterizations, such as Sir Pitt Crawly, are good, but in general I didn't like them. They didn't match the voices in my head as I imagined the characters. It distracted me a bit, which is why I gave Performance only 4 stars, while Story got 5.

Any additional comments?

**Vanity Fair** is a very long novel, written in serialization. Thackeray 's style is common for the time. Sentences are complex and very long, florid and decorative. I adore it. He's THE master of the form. There is a lightness in his tone, even when your emotions are being tugged a bit. I heartily recommend it for those with a feeling for 19th century literature.

Vanity Fair

Would you listen to Vanity Fair again? Why?

Maybe. I spent a great deal of my life dodging this book. I've seen some screen adaptations. I never got far enough into it to find out that Vanity Fair is the place.

What did you like best about this story?

I read trashy period romance all of the time. Oh and I also listen. There are a lot of entitled people in the story. People who live in a privileged world of inherited wealth. The only true vocations to this class are military and clergy. I have neither love nor respect for any of the major characters. These are people who make disliking them so easy.

Have you listened to any of Georgina Sutton’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes and I love the sound of her voice. It is very mellow. She doesn't screech.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

ThAt would be a big NO.

Worth a listen

I thought I would never get to the end of this, but it was worth listening to. The narrator in this version was absolutely outstanding and I highly recommend her. I'm sure I read Thackeray in high school and may or may not have finished, but this was an easier way to get through the torrent of words. Those Victorians got paid by the word, didn't they? I had to take this in small doses but I'm glad I persevered. The author becomes one of the characters and we come to know him pretty well.

the best narrator

I've listened to this version many many times just for the narrator, although I love the book too.

classic and timeless

This is one of the first English books I’ve read. As a teenager, I was fascinated by Becky Sharp. Upon rereading, I was impressed by the complexities of major and minor characters, and the timeless struggles of women.
I love the narrator’s voice of most major characters.

Enjoyable 19th century tale

I love classics and this was good not great in my opinion. I enjoyed the language and the overall story line.